


A World Without Hope

by sunshineren



Category: Legacies - Fandom, The Vampire Diaries, the originals - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineren/pseuds/sunshineren
Summary: a timeline where Hope never returned to the Salvatore Boarding School after the devastating losses of not only her not so immortal parents, Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall, but also her uncle Elijah Mikaelson. a world where the impressionable minds of the SBS are taught that the Mikaelson's are the root of all evil, and Hope Mikaelson is the very opposite of her name. she is determined to prolong her father's wicked legacy in dominating the world with her hybrids as a form of lashing out, but not for as long as her family has to say anything about it.—————————————also posted on Wattpad by blueeyeed.
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Roman Sienna, Landon Kirby/Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warning below! and spoilers, duh.  
> _____________________________  
> a timeline where Hope never returned to the Salvatore Boarding School after the devastating losses of not only her not so immortal parents, Klaus Mikaelson and Hayley Marshall, but also her uncle Elijah Mikaelson. a world where the impressionable minds of the SBS are taught that the Mikaelson's are the root of all evil, and Hope Mikaelson is the very opposite of her name: despair. she is determined to prolong her father's wicked legacy in dominating the world with her hybrids as a form of lashing out, but not for as long as her family has to say anything about it.  
> _____________________________
> 
> _____________________________  
> _____________________________  
> ***I do not own any storyline or characters from The Vampire Diaries shows, including TVD, The Originals, and Legacies, who rightfully belong to Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. However, this story is based off certain episodes from each show. Other than that, all of this story came from my imagination.  
> __________________________  
> I rightfully own my cover photo, but do not claim the photos I used in it. All gifs, pictures, and or songs provided throughout the story are NOT mine, unless I state so. I grant credit to whose medias belong to.  
> ____________________________  
> (please don't hate on me if something is not canonically correct. I've seen all three shows once or twice, and am a big fan. I will try to keep references or scenes as correct as I can possibly make it, but do not harshly criticize me for it.)  
> ____________________________  
> ***all spell incantations will be referenced from vampirediaries.fandom.com or directly from the shows.  
> ____________________________  
> story time line:  
> post Klaus/Elijah/Hayley death—pre-malivore era  
> ______________________________  
> personally rated: PG-14  
> may include:  
> -profanity  
> -sexual references  
> -murder  
> -drug/alcohol use  
> -mental illnesses  
> -*****TW: self harm or suicide

"I don't deserve the love you've given me brother" 

"...but I am so grateful"

"It's been a glorious ride, Niklaus"

"...and my greatest honor."  
______________________________  
weeks later 

"Hope?"

Roman called out gently to the quiet figure, as she flinched. He did not mean to disturb her, but it had become her daily habit to stare into nothingness as her transparent blue eyes glazed over. Unintentionally, it became her immediate coping mechanism; it seemed to be the closest thing to turning off her humanity without being a vampire. As she stared, she felt nothing—absolutely vacant inside...and she had every right to feel that way. Within the same year, she lost her supposedly immortal parents and uncle, and at the end of the day, she couldn't save them. She, the Tribrid, couldn't save her own family. This made her feel weak, but not as much as she felt guilty. A "cosmic mistake", she always labeled herself. 

Hope rapidly blinked and was brought back to reality to sound of Roman's voice. The color flooded back into her irises as a sense of relief passed through Roman's body when seeing so. The sight of this powerful being be so frail and numb made Roman ashamed, partially because he was one of the culprits in Hayley's death, brainwashed or not; also because he was clueless on how to even begin to help someone that was so damaged from such a tragedy. Through all the decades he had lived, he had never seen such heartbreak. 

The two of them had spent the afternoon deep within the Mystic Falls forest. Sunlight scattered through the foliage above them that highlighted Hope's auburn hair. The ground they sat on was somewhat cool, as a breeze occasionally passed through the trees. Roman and Hope ventured out here to practice magic, in hopes it would take her mind off of her current situation. Unfortunately, Hope's mind could not welcome any sort of distraction, but tried her best to pretend to practice. Roman, being a vampire, didn't know the difference. 

Besides doing magic, he brought her out there to be secluded because days prior, Hope's Aunt Freya spoke to Roman about convincing Hope to attend the Salvatore Boarding School once again. Though Roman partook in Hope's mother's death, Hope felt as if he was all she had left. Roman, ridden in guilt, obliged to be Hope's friend. A piece of him loved her, although he knew the feeling was not mutual. Hope felt this way because it seemed to her that her entire family had moved on already, leaving her to grieve all alone. 

Aunt Bex and Marcel were indulged in wedding plans and thoughts of New York. Hope couldn't blame them however; they've been in love centuries before Hope was even conceived. Not to mention, her father, Klaus, had forbidden their love countless times. The couple must feel free and able to do all the things they've only imagined. 

Aunt Freya and Aunt Keelin are busy trying for a baby, with the help of Vincent. The three of them reside in New Orleans, and help run the witch faction alongside Marcel. Davina and Uncle Kol are only God knows where on the face of the planet. They have unlimited funds and compulsion to travel anywhere they please. For all Hope knows, they could be in Versailles, or Barcelona. 

As Hope regained her focus and picked up an unnamed herb, Roman found the courage to introduce Aunt Freya's idea she told him about. 

"Your Aunt Freya called me a few days ago," Roman began. 

Hope studied the herb, and then grounded it into her stone grinder. "What did she have to say to you that she couldn't say to me?" Hope replied, somewhat sarcastic, as her left brow raised, her eyes still watching the bowl. 

Roman knew how quickly this conversation could escalate, so he remained calm and watched her hands do their work, occasionally looking up at her. "That's the thing...this is something she's already spoken to you about. I'm sure this is something you don't want to talk about but I promised–" 

Hope immediately stopped grinding, and darted her eyes at Roman's soft face. "Just say it already, what did you two talk about?" Hope's voice started to rise and Roman felt tense. 

If he wasn't careful with his words, Hope could blow up on him, most likely with her magic. Though immortal, it would still hurt to be flung into a nearby tree due to the intensity of her magic. 

"She wants you to reconsider attending the Salvatore Boarding School. Alaric Saltzman would gladly welcome you back, and we both know that," Roman said in a softer voice, trying to control the tone of the conversation. "The school is filled with people like you," Roman shook his head, forgetting he too was a supernatural being. "People like us, and you wouldn't have to go alone. I would happily go too if it meant you were happy and safe." He slowly placed his hand on her folded legs to comfort but realized they were no longer a couple and detached himself from her. 

Hope glanced at him, and immediately removed her eyes to nervously look around at her surroundings. She set down her belongings and placed long strand of hair behind her pierced ear. "Roman...I wouldn't expect you to understand. I can't go back. I just can't. As soon as I'd walk in, everyone would see me as another sob story, or even worse, a Mikaelson. An evil, murderous, Mikaelson. They are taught about us, and what my family has done–"

"To be fair, your family is the reason why vampires exist. I'm certain there's a class dedicated to the origins of the species." Roman interrupted. Hope rolled her eyes. 

"Exactly Roman, there's a class dedicated to us, and my father's entire history is laid out in front of them for newbie vampires to judge. They never want to hear the villain's side of the story, or even how he is in the hero in mine." Hope continued as she stood up. "They either see him as a wicked, selfish, monster or someone they wish they could be. I mean, what place does Alaric Saltzman have to exploit my family like that?!" The anger began to build up inside her, and filled her like a balloon that could burst. 

Roman suddenly got onto his feet and shook his hands. "You're right, he doesn't have the right to do that but Hope, you need to calm down," Roman quickly said before she could get another word out.

"No, Roman," Hope's eyebrows furrowed. "He thinks just because he dealt with the Salvatore's and a couple of witches, he can speak for us, a human, can speak for supernatural species. Who the hell does he think he is?" Hope walked in direction to the boarding school, with purpose, and worry filled Roman. 

Within seconds, Roman was in front of her, blocking her path, knowing she could easily blast him out of her way. "Hope, what do you think you're doing?"

Without a problem, she avoided his presence and kept on. Her anger was starting to control her, and it didn't help the inner werewolf in her encouraged it. Not a single word came out of her mouth. Hope was on a mission to the Salvatore School and was not going to be stopped by a mere vampire. 

Roman ran past her, grabbed her by the shoulders, and looked deeply in her glowing wolf eyes. Realizing she could kill him instantly by transforming into a wolf, he let go, but immediately risked his life again by embracing her. She at first resisted, but he only held on tighter. Roman knew she did not want to hurt Alaric, or any student attending. They were once her friends, family at one point. Alaric took her in without a doubt, as if Caroline would take "no" for an answer when it came to Hope Mikaelson. 

She was on the brink of breaking, and Roman could only hope this hug would physically and emotionally hold her together. The pounding in her heart slowly, but surely, calmed and she welcomed the hug with tears. Hope faced away from Roman's neck so he wouldn't see that she was being weak as she released tears. The wet warmth fell onto his shoulder and doused his t-shirt. Not another word was said, and for a moment...Hope felt cared for.

"I'm sorry..." Hope whispered, though Roman's vampire hearing heard it loud and clear. 

Roman released Hope from his grasp to tell her she does not need to apologize. She is the last person to be at fault, and everything she feels is for a valid reason. If anything, Roman needed to apologize. Not that he hasn't already, he has more times than he can count. He continuously tries to prove his sorrow by being her companion, and never leaving her side, but she is too in pain to acknowledge his efforts. 

"Why are you sorry–" Roman is cut off before he can finish his question. Hope snapped his neck in a flash and his built body dropped. 

Hope wiped the liquids away with her cotton sleeve, though still feeling weak. She crouched downwards, glancing at Roman's lifeless body as she put a gingerly hand on his shoulder. "I just am." She muttered. 

She stood up once again, and stepped over his frozen body. How could she be so weak? She thought as she continued her path to the boarding school. Rage started to boil her blood again. Not just because of Alaric or Roman, but because of herself. Her steps turned into stomps. If her father saw her now, he surely would be ashamed, wouldn't he? His powerful heir, crying, over what? Her frustration was so intoxicating, she couldn't pinpoint the direct cause anymore. There were too many reasons. 

She was an outcast. The only one of her kind. Even within a school for others similar to her, she would be the abnormal. Disguising as a Marshall didn't work for long, and being a Mikaelson would single her out even more. 

Why was she a Mikaelson when her own family didn't care for her? They endlessly fought for her, up until her father and uncle's death. Did they only fight because of them? They're too caught up in their own lives to register that Hope was screaming for her family. 

Were they angry with her? Upset because she couldn't save them? Because Hope was the one who kidnapped Hayley that ultimately led to her death? Because Hope couldn't take on the Hollow and due to that, her aunt, uncles and father had to do it for her? Why couldn't she? Hope, a Mikaelson witch, the original Tribrid, couldn't save them. What was wrong with her? Why was her existence such a burden? 

Her mind suddenly switched off as she arrived at the gates of the school. She wrapped her shaky hands around the poles, looking inwards to the home she used to call her own. Just by seeing the boarding school, she began to relive memories, before everything came crashing down. She imagined herself walking through the doors and the directions to her personal room, to magic class and the library. She remembered the hallways she toured with her mom when first visiting, and the staircases that never seemed to end. 

Hope visioned the times with the Saltzman twins: Josie accidentally starting fires and then experimenting with fire, Lizzie's outbursts and the first time they did their first spells together. Hope at that age couldn't believe the twins created an entire prison world, with the help of Bonnie of course. 

Nostalgia was present in Hope, as she let go of the gates. Pain rushed in as she realized she would never belong here, no matter how much Alaric or the student body would try. If not here, where does she belong? Hope took one last glance before turning a cold shoulder to the building. She couldn't and wouldn't inflict pain onto those she once cared for because of her own misery. Hope just prayed her father wasn't looking down at her in disappointment. Maybe Uncle Elijah would be proud for her containment, but she would never know. 

Hope took very slow steps away in the driveway until she halted in shock. 

A familiar voice called out to her. "Hope?"


	2. Chapter 2

Hope's body rotated instantaneously to see Josie Saltzman standing before her, only to be separated by the pole gate behind the school. Hope wasn't sure how to feel; she didn't want to be caught reminiscing, but Josie's presence was somewhat calming. Seeing an old friend warmed her nostalgic heart, but she didn't want to get Josie's hopes up. Hope nonchalantly took steps backwards, trying to avoid any possible conversation that may provoke her emotions or guilt. 

Josie's face viewed as puzzled. "Where are you going? Aren't you coming back to the school?" She asked naively. This question put Hope to a halt. While scrambling for an answer, Hope looked at her childhood friend. She wore the typical Salvatore Boarding School uniform, with her own spin on it. Her brunette chopped hair was perfectly curled and laid across her collarbone. Josie had an innocent, small, smile, as she waited for Hope's response. 

The Siphoner had missed her Tribrid friend. Though their friendship had been strained at times, due to Lizzie's snarky comments or issues happening within Hope's family, they've always found themselves together again. With Josie's codependency and Hope's loneliness, they made the perfect duo. Josie was aware of the misfortune Hope had recently experienced, as her mom paid respects at her father's and uncle's memorial. Caroline had sent a bouquet of roses to Hope all the way to New Orleans with a hand written note of her condolences and a warm invitation to the school whenever she was ready to return. 

Josie understood the parental issues. Maybe not to Hope's level, but she knew how it felt to not have a normal parent relationship. Caroline constantly flew in and out of the country, looking for recruiters, and Alaric hardly had enough time for Josie after being headmaster and handling Lizzie's Gemini coven induced bipolar issues. Josie understood, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. 

Hope, still in shock, was speechless. Josie continued, "I can go get my dad or Dorian to open the gates for you," she stated as her thumb pointed behind her. Her face lit up as she grinned, "or I can try to siphon it, I know there's a barrier spell within the gates, maybe that could open them." Josie inched towards the gates, grasping them as her hands glowed red. 

"No! No," Hope exclaimed as the gates opened. Without thinking, she whispered claudo te, as the doors slammed right into Josie's face. You could see the hurt in Josie's face as the lock sealed shut. You knew Josie was upset when her lips drooped into a pout and she became teary eyed. 

Josie crossed her arms, and stared downwards at the dirt ground, purposely avoiding eye contact from Hope. "You could've just said that in the first place Hope, instead of just standing there." Josie said, her voice quieting with each word. 

"I know, and I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to see you here," Hope explained. 

Josie scoffed. "You weren't expecting to see me here? At my dad's school? More like, I wasn't expecting to see you here. What are you doing on school grounds if you're not here to attend?"

"I'm not entirely sure anymore," Hope answered, as she reflected on the anger that led her here. If she were her dad, hearts would have already been wrenched out of bodies if her rage continued to dominate her train of thought. 

The two girls looked at each other in silence, waiting for the other to keep the conversation going, when they both blurt out a new topic. 

"We have a flag football–"

"So, any new spells–"

Both of them laughed at their awkwardness. Hope insisted that Josie goes first, because as of now, she could not care less about practicing magic. Doing so caused painful problems in her life, and would much rather identify only with her simplistic werewolf side. Any time of the day, or night, she could "wolf out", and be free. Each transition seem to hurt less, and the option made Hope feel unbound. 

"We have a new flag football team," Josie finished and took a seat on the ground, crossing her legs while holding onto them. Hope followed her movements, and did the exact same, except extending her arms behind her to prop her up. Josie didn't want to force anything upon Hope, but she thought maybe if she told her about the new, exciting events that were upcoming, Hope would reconsider returning to the school. "And Miss Mystic Falls is being hosted here at the school this year, I only know this because Lizzie hasn't shut up about it. She wants me to sign up along with her, to take down the competition, of course. Lizzie has been dreaming of this day since I could remember. I know she just wants to follow in our mom's footsteps and make her proud," Josie stated with a bittersweet voice. "I'm sure she'll win considering she has dibs on wearing our mom's dress." She shrugged and plucked blades of grass out of the ground. 

Lizzie Saltzman. Of course she would put her twin second to win for her own selfish wants, Hope thought. As if Josie read her mind, she said, "but honestly, I think Lizzie is doing this in hopes it'll get our mom's attention. She thinks if she makes her proud enough, she will have reason to come home instead of focusing on recruiting other supernatural kids." 

"Your sister is basically a reincarnation of Caroline," Hope let out a laugh. "Blonde hair, slim, tall. They even act the same."

"Yeah..." Josie's voiced trailed off. Hope's statement slightly stung Josie's ego considering Lizzie was so similar to Caroline. Her dad even named her after the Elizabeth Forbes. If Lizzie somehow became a vampire, she'd be Caroline on a whole new level. 

Hope realized the tone change in Josie's voice   
and quickly made up for her previous comment. "Caroline is proud of both of you," Hope smiled with her lips pressed firmly. "You're so smart, and talented with magic, oh, and your singing!" Hope's eyes widened. "Lizzie will always have her own perks, but you're you, Josie. The selfless, careful, Josie, just like your mom. I'm sure Jo is at peace, happily watching you blossom into the woman you're becoming."

In that moment, Josie wondered if the Mikaelsons were at peace, and if Hope questioned the same thing...

"What are you doing here?" Lizzie's voice blurted out of nowhere. She stood a few feet behind her twin sister, with her hands placed effortlessly on her hips. Lizzie was wearing her favorite, green-blue, plaid, pants, tied with a sheer, button up, blouse. Her rubber white combat boots were tied, double knotted actually. The blonde hair coming from the top of Lizzie's head was simply parted in the middle as straight, bright strands of hair fell far past her shoulder blades. 

Hope gathered herself and found herself on her feet in an instant. Since Lizzie and Hope could remember, the tension has always come between them because of rumors one supposedly started about the other. Between Hope apparently calling Lizzie another unstable "witch bitch" and Lizzie allegedly exposing to the entire school Hope's secret identity as a Mikaelson, they despised each other. What they both didn't know though, was that it was secretly Josie behind the whole scheme. 

Hope dusted the dirt off of her clothing as she rolled her eyes at Lizzie's question. "Nothing, actually, I was just leaving." 

"As you usually do, Hope Mikaelson," Lizzie emphasized on the last name. "I guess being a loner orphan really does run in the family." 

"And I guess being a crazy bitch runs in yours," Hope added while raising her brows. 

The orphan had never realized that her own mom and dad were also orphans in their own ways. Hayley's biological parents were murdered for protecting one of the four remains of The Hollow. Marcel fortunately rescued Hayley as a young baby and sent her to be adopted by a human family. Once she turned however, she was parentless and on her own. 

Klaus's parental issues were vastly worse. Once his father, Mikael, found out Niklaus wasn't his son, all hell broke loose. Klaus was punished for being a physical reminder of Mikael's wife, Esther's, affair. To Mikael, he was a monster; a beast. Klaus was the very thing Esther swore to protect her family from: a werewolf. Not only that, but he also was the first, original, hybrid. 

Due to the strain this put on the Mikaelson family, Klaus killed Esther. He killed her for causing him and his siblings to be blood sucking demons. He was hurt and harshly disciplined for his mother's mistakes. After doing so, he lied among his siblings, telling them that only Mikael would do that, and together, they fled. Then and there, they promised: "always and forever."

Lizzie audibly scoffed. "Oh, you did not go there Hope. Me? Crazy? At least I'm not the Frankenstein of supernatural beings! It seems to me you have a wolf leg, vampire arm, witch head–" 

"Both of you, stop!" Josie intervened, her face turning to look at each girl. She was too late however. By the time she faced in Hope's direction, her figure disappeared. 

Lizzie shrugged. "Serves her right for telling everyone about my bi-polar disorder," Lizzie deflected as her body shifted in direction from her sitting twin. She glanced over her shoulder, pausing to see if Josie was coming along. 

Josie's eyes wondered, searching for any sign of Hope. She had vanished rapidly, almost at a vampire's speed. Had she transitioned without anyone even knowing? Surely, Josie just missed her leaving by a second. Hope wouldn't purposely trigger her vampire side. Right?

"You coming?" Lizzie held out a hand.

Their hands clasped together as Lizzie pulled Josie upwards from the earthy ground. The blonde twin locked arms with her sister as she guided her towards their school. Lizzie continued to speak but her words went through Josie's ear and out the other. Her intuition was warning Josie that something was off, or wrong about Hope. 

Having Lizzie as her twin sister helped her recognize and understand the signs of poor mental health. Sudden outbursts or long periods of silence was an indication of something warring inside of someone. Hope demonstrated both of those actions. 

There was only so much pain Josie could imagine Hope was feeling right now. 

In front of them waited the old Salvatore House, happily donated to and renovated for Alaric and Caroline. The twins walked the large circle driveway as a pitch black, SBS van approached them and parked near the entrance. Out exited their dad, along with a tanned, muscled boy, with his friend that had dark, curly hair. Both boys obviously looked confused, and Josie assumed they were another pair of recruiters. 

"I call dibs on the tan one," Lizzie called as she giggled. Josie unlocked arms with ease and jogged towards her dad, leaving Lizzie to gawk over the newcomers. 

"Perfect timing Josie," Alaric said, opening the back of the van, revealing two gym bags full of clothes and belongings. "I need you and Lizzie to show Rafael and Landon around." 

"Okay, but can I talk to you about something first?" Josie grabbed an old, dusty, red gym bag to assist her dad but the curly, awkward boy politely removed it from her grasp. They gently exchanged smiles, but then Josie directed her attention towards her dad again. 

"Sure, but make it quick," Alaric hoisted the second bag over his shoulder and reached to close the trunk. He began to walk away from his daughter, as she had to take bigger steps to catch up with him. 

"Do you think Hope is okay?" The young girl asked, hoping her wiser dad would know the right answer. 

"I'm sure she is in pain," Alaric acknowledged. "But she isn't alone. She has her family in New Orleans, along with friends and a home here in Mystic Falls when she's ready to return. We wouldn't let her grieve alone." 

"What if she turns her humanity off?" 

Alaric stopped in his tracks in shock. "Did she turn already?" He questioned, looking directly into his daughter's eyes. "What do you know?" 

Josie shook her head nervously. "I just saw her, and something seemed wrong. I don't know if she transitioned, or if she's deeply hurting. I just don't know."

Her dad peeked over Josie's brunette head as he had a few inches over her. He watched Lizzie happily speak amongst her new peers and pondered what truly goes on in his student's and daughters' minds. As headmaster, he could only do so much for each individual, but tried to be better dad for his daughters. He wished he could do more for Hope, but he thought she needed space from everything. 

"Dad?" Josie snapped Ric back to reality. 

Alaric pinched the bridge of his nose and the rubbed his eyes. "She can't, and she wouldn't. She can't be a vampire yet. If she was, she would only be one step closer to being another infamous Mikaelson; she wants to do good, Josie, I know it," he reassured her, though the pit in her stomach told her otherwise. 

"Okay," Josie's natural pout came to show but expressed a fake smile to put her dad's worries to rest. "You're probably right." 

He grinned. "Please go show the boys around before Lizzie scares them off with her over the top enthusiasm," he joked and placed a kiss on her forehead. Alaric entered the boarding school and immediately was greeted by Dorian. 

Josie generally felt uneasy, physically and mentally. She could sense something was wrong, and needed to reach out, but wasn't sure how. Weirdly enough, at times like this, she would know what to do. With Lizzie, she would cuddle her, provide her with tea and ice cream, or let her rant until the sun rose at dawn. What would or could help Hope? 

She crossed the yard and join the trio. For now, she stuck her worries to the back of her mind. "Hi, I'm Josie," she fake smiled again. "Let's show you around." She said cheerily and Lizzie smiled widely. The four of them entered the house, as the twins provided just another tour for another student at the Salvatore Boarding School.


	3. Chapter 3

As the evening's sunset glow vanished throughout the forest Hope was wandering back into, she felt so empty that the simple breeze that was tangling her long hair into knots could sweep her away, trouble free. The only thing to keep her feet grounded was the overwhelming presence of her own mind and thoughts. Anything and everything was streaming through her head, and Hope was unable to sort through any thought that presented itself. Hope's heart heavily pounded as it pumped anxiety through her entire body with every step returning to where she departed from Roman's lifeless body. 

Following a certain dirt path and ducking under low hanging branches, she eventually saw Roman's body, still lying motionless from moments before, and her belongings. Hope estimated she had an half hour at least to herself before Roman had awoken. While roaming around the neighboring area, Hope reached as tall as she could on the top of her toes and yanked onto weak appearing branches to construct into a fire. She stacked the branches she could gather, then closed her left hand into a fist. 

"Incendia,"Hope's fingers unfolded outwards. A flame emerged, and swiftly it indulged the wood and out bursted a fire. Embers flew around her like lightning bugs, illuminating her surroundings within a blink of an eye.

From her worn, leather, bag, she pushed aside paper spells and grabbed her projection crystal from the bottom of the bag. Hope held it upwards to her eye sight, twisting it and examining the faint lavender crystal. Never had Hope tried such an object; she was first gifted the crystal from the twins when her parents and uncle first died, but never bothered to use it aside from it being a fancy book stopper. Holding it made Hope antsy, knowing she could see any dead relative she thought of right before her eyes. 

She placed the crystal within the light of the fire, carefully waiting with her eyes squeezed shut. Moments passed in absolute silence, except for the crackling of the fire, as Hope's faith slowly drained from her heart. One eye peeked to search for any possible presence, but opened both eyes in disappointment once she didn't view anyone illuminating from within the crystal. 

Hope set the magical object onto the dirt, only inches away from the fire lighting her surroundings. She stepped away, feeling foolish.

"Why did I think this would work?" Hope said, with a tone of defeat in her voice.

"It seems to be working," A deep, soothing, accented voice replied, raising the hairs on the back of Hope's neck and arms. Only such a sound could cause her entire body to react in that way.

"Dad?!" Instantly, Hope swung around, to see her father right before her. Hope's eyes flickered in complete and utter shock. She ran towards him, grasping tightly, as tears began to well. 

The pressure of his compressed hug relieved whatever stress was entrapped in Hope's mind. In that moment, she wanted to melt into Klaus's arms, and never forget how it felt again. She reached around his neck, as he held her closer. 

Though his appearance was a mere figment of her imagination, mixed with a bit of magic, it all felt too real. His musky scent, stubbled face, stern body; it was too realistic to not be reality, even with a small dose of witchery. 

Letting go gently, but still holding onto her father's elbows, she let out a short, breathy, laugh. "You are here, that stupid crystal really works," Hope said as Klaus grinned widely. She mirrored the same smile, as it was her father's smile she had. 

Before he could reply, Hope's guilt and anxieties set back in. "Dad, I miss you so much. I am so sorry," she murmured, without breaking any eye contact. He watched glimmers from the fire light up her saddened eyes, wanting to remove any pain she was ridden with. 

"My beautiful Hope," Klaus sighed deeply, digging through his mind, trying to find an answer that would heal Hope's troubles. "The ceasing of my prolonged life did not happen because of your existence. I had lived numerous lifetimes–it was just unfortunate luck that ours did not line together long enough." 

"It is because of you, Hope Mikaelson, that I found peace." He consoled her, as he placed a lone strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. Klaus cupped her chilled face from the evening breeze, warming it. "You put an ending to my pain." 

Hope wanted to smile. She wanted to feel better about her father passing away, but the wound was too fresh that not even her own father could heal. He may speak sweet truths, but a lie is always easier to hear. 

"I ended your pain, but this is only the beginning of mine," Hope released her father's grasp from her small face. "Besides...you are telling me what I want to hear. Truth is, I will never know how my father truly feels about me and what I have done to this family." She turned away from him, facing towards the fire fueling the crystal. 

The girl glanced downwards, kicking a nearby twig into the flames. "No wonder my own family doesn't speak to me." She mumbled, as the flames grew higher momentarily. 

"Hope, Mikaelson's are all about family–" Klaus tried to counter but Hope's wit was stronger than her father's. 

Hope turned around within seconds and pointed her index finger into her father's not beating chest. "Do not tell me we are all about family when you were the one who disappeared for half my life! Let's not forget when Uncle Elijah literally had his memories wiped of us because being related brought him too much guilt and misery!" 

Like clockwork, Hope's wrist was grabbed strongly by Klaus and ripped from his thoracic cavity. "I think you are forgetting who the parent is here love," he scolded with a voice as chilling as ice. Never had her father been so aggressive with her. 

"Let go of me, please, you're hurting me," she begged with remorse. 

The breeze through the forest picked up to be a gust, as Hope's emotions deepened. It was as if she was absentmindedly changing the weather as she felt another emotion coming on. Leaves were thrown around the two beings, and the fire unhurriedly increased, eventually preparing itself to burst as Hope would. 

Klaus's grip tightened, as he begun to leave marks upon her delicate skin. "My daughter will not speak to me like that, especially not after disappointing the family name I fought and defended endlessly for." 

Those words dug and rooted painfully into Hope's heart. Was it true? Did she truly tarnish the well-known, dangerous, honorable Mikaelson name? Was she even worthy to carry the last name of Marshall, her name given from her royal mother? Why was Klaus hurting her, emotionally and physically?

"You're a mirror of my subconscious," Hope remembered and harshly pushed Klaus's projection further away from her. Shakily, she swung her hands, indicating to stay away. "This is not real." 

"But that doesn't make me any less of your father Hope," Klaus snapped with a low voice. "I sacrificed my life for you, your mother was forced to do the same because of the situation you put her in."

"Do not bring my mother into this, please," Hope plead. "I'm sorry, okay? Please, just stop," Her voice said, while cracking. Hope's mind began to scatter and guilt flooded in. 

"Your entire existence has only brought death and hardships upon everyone you have ever encountered. You have yet to avenge any of our deaths, or even honor this family. What will you do to prove you are worthy of this family, of living?" Hope's vision of Klaus grew angrier and stomped towards her, cornering her against the fire. 

Hope took mortified steps backwards, aware of the flames behind her. "Please, just stop," she yelled helplessly with tears streaming down her blushed cheeks. "I don't know what to do without you! I am sorry, please, stop," she continued, with her eyes squeezed shut. 

Without knowing, her black, leather, boot knocked over the crystal, allowing Klaus's projection to disappear from Hope's eyesight. She did not know this however, as she collapsed onto the ground sobbing. 

Fires surrounding Hope grew stronger and more ferocious as Hope's emotions strengthened. Around them, Hope was impulsively recreating a Hell like area, covering the short grass and skinny trees with flames. She didn't seem to notice, or even care—her life was going up in flames, why shouldn't the world burn down with her? 

Roman lifted his heavy head from the warmed ground, lazily trying to open his eyes. He was greeted with a flame trailing in his direction.

"Hope!" Roman quickly rose to his feet, trying to comprehend what was happening around him. He stomped onto the trail about to burn his clothes into ashes, but without prevail, it would not go out. This was not a natural fire; this was a witch's fire, and the only way to put it out was by the witch herself.

Hope's body and mind felt numb. The fire around her became so illuminating, it seemed to be the only thing she could see, so she stared. She stared deeply, letting tears flow like waterfalls. It begun to enclose on her, and it was bittersweet; she finally felt some kind of warmth, even if it would kill her. 

Roman frantically scrambled to her before she was engulfed in flames. He then also had tears in his eyes, unsure of what was the situation prior to Hope trying to harm herself, but trying to correct everything in mere seconds. "Hope, stop! You're going to hurt yourself!" He crouched and shook her frail body intensely. 

Hope sheepishly looked into his worrisome eyes. "No," was all she could speak. 

"No?" Roman anxiously spat out. "What–what do you mean 'no'?" He could feel the heat through his shirt and jacket. There was only a few moments left before they would both fall victims to the fire. 

"No." She repeated, quieter. "I can't." She said, with a lifeless look in her eyes. 

What felt like hours, Hope glanced once more into Roman's sweet eyes, and then closed them, as if she was accepting fate. He tried his best to read her body language, but simply did not have the time to do so. 

Rapidly, like a broken record, Hope could only think: 'what have I done to prove my existence is worthy?' Though Klaus was not physically there, his mimicry words planted more doubts and worries into Hope's already shattered mindset. 

What could she realistically do to make her father proud? To live out the Mikaelson name properly? What good reasoning did she have to continue on? She had little to no answers, in which made her feel undeserving of her own life. 

Roman scooped up Hope's tiny body and her belongings, as she remained limp without motivation to save herself. With his vampire speed, he vanished from that area of the woods to prevent either of them from losing their lives. He stopped near the entrance of the highway, both of them still hidden deeply in the foliage and shadowed in the darkened sky. 

Fire truck sirens softly blared miles away, but screamed loudly in Roman's vampire ears. After gently setting Hope on the soft, padded, ground, he regretfully watched the green, luscious forest die from Hope's emotional outburst. 

Roman turned to face Hope. Almost speechless, he softly asked: "what happened?"

She looked up helplessly at his face glowing in the moonlight. Hope attempted to recollect the events that came to be only minutes ago, but it all happened so quickly, she sat there, clueless where to begin. 

"You should have let me die."


	4. Chapter 4

"Josie, are you even listening?"   
Lizzie glared at Josie with a look that could kill. Josie's eyes emerged from staring into her cereal bowl, watching lone cereal puffs gently spin and drift in the milk. Admittedly, Josie learned to partially tune out Lizzie's constant boy talk, but yet hasn't mastered the skill. 

"Yes?" Josie half lied. 

"Please," Lizzie leaned onto the stainless steel island, placing both hands flat on the cool surface. "I need you to talk to Rafael's friend, Liam, or whatever," Lizzie said, struggling to recall the curly boy's name. 

"Landon," Josie corrected her twin sister. 

"Landon," Lizzie repeated, with a sarcastic tone, almost teasing Josie. "Landon, Liam, Luke, whatever what you want to call him. Dad thinks he's on vervain so he's in the basement, basically imprisoned down there, and it would make Rafael feel better knowing he's being taken care of." 

Josie carefully sat down her glass bowl on the granite counter beside her, somewhat wishing she was eating in peace. "Fine," Josie sighed. "Only for you."

"Thank you!" Lizzie skipped around the island that was blocking her path while reaching her arms towards her twin sister. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," Lizzie exclaimed, pressing her cheek against Josie's.

"What would I do without you?" Lizzie continued, ruffling Josie's bedhead. 

Josie sighed. "I am not really sure," she said, half smiling, attempting to hide some concern. It was easier than it should be to mask Josie's emotions and opinions from her twin sister to keep everything at a safe playing field. One incorrect move would be like stepping on a land mine for Lizzie. 

Codependency ran deep within the twins. The two being the last members of their coven–excluding their psychotic, imprisoned, Uncle Kai–meant they were the only ones who truly understood and related to one another. That, on top of the unbreakable bonds twins create the moment they share a womb. 

No other coven did a ritual similar to the Merge like the Gemini Coven did. In order to continue the lineage and leadership of the coven, twins had to complete the Merge by age 22. This tradition followed as the siblings rivaling against the other; the one who harnessed stronger power would harvest the weaker one's magic, resulting in that twin's death. 

Considering such an inescapable and traumatizing event was to happen, Alaric had yet to warn his daughters of what was to come. Throughout the entirety of the boarding school, he had hidden away any pieces of work that even referenced the Merge. The ascendant that secured their very uncle in his prison world was stored in the basement of the school, along with dark objects to not be touched, or even be discovered for that matter. 

"I am going to find Rafael before classes start, maybe he needs help finding his homeroom," Lizzie tapped her chin mischievously, then grinned. "Or finding my secret make out spots." 

"They are not much of a secret if you take every guy you meet there," Josie sassily remarked, flipping her hair over her shoulder and adjusting her Salvatore Boarding School vest. Promptly, she begun to exit the kitchen, attempting to escape Lizzie's salty comeback. 

"You are just jealous!" Lizzie's faint voice stuttered, but Josie's mind had already drifted elsewhere as she entered the busy hallways of the school. 

~

The faint sounds of school bells and students chattering among the hallways disturbed a drowsy Hope. Once opening her eyes with deep, slow, blinks, she observed a familiar room, with such an empty feeling. 

Hanging upon the walls were complex, beautiful, hand-painted canvases of New Orleans skylines and Louisiana bayou fields, created by Klaus Mikaelson himself. On the left of Hope's large bed were family portraits ranging from her as a baby, up until a few weeks ago. To the right, resided a wolf plush gifted to her many years ago as an infant. 

Above her head, she gazed at the raised ceiling, trying to recall the events that led her to her bedroom in the Salvatore Boarding School. She propped herself upwards with the support of her elbows, viewing Roman, crouched in a chair deeply asleep. Before she could speak a word, the pungent smell of smoke reached her nose and Hope took a deep whiff of her ashy clothing. 

With one smell, she began to remember the previous night: the crystal, the fight, the outburst, and most importantly, the fire. Something in her crumbled after the realization. Not only herself, but Roman too appeared to have black ash upon their arms and face. A piece of Roman's flannel seemed to be burnt off. 

Strangely enough, she could recollect every moment of last night, but could not piece together how she ended up in this bed. It was only yesterday afternoon that she told Josie she would not be returning to this school, yet here she was. Not only did Hope feel like a disappointment, but now a liar as well. 

Quietly, with slow movements, Hope tried to move her small body across the full sized bed, but failed to remain silent due to the creaky floorboards. The noise startled Roman, causing him to straighten his posture instantly and rapidly blink, trying to wake up. 

"Sorry," Hope mumbled, sitting on the edge of her bed. 

"It's okay," Roman replied, with a raspy morning voice. "Are you okay?"

Hope fiddled with her hands. "I think so..." She answered with a guilty tone, knowing the events of last night. "What happened after the fire? Why of all places are we here?" Hope questioned, slightly annoyed, wondering if her Aunt Freya was behind this.

"Well," Roman cleared his voice, preparing himself for the unpleasant answer he was about to give. "You were out of control Hope, you were talking about death, and I wasn't sure how to calm you down. I only caught a glimpse of what happened before everything around us went up in flames and couldn't risk you accidentally creating more havoc."

"What do you mean you couldn't risk it? What did you do?" Hope blurted nervously. 

Carefully, Roman approached Hope and kneeled in front of her. He began to roll up her long sleeve, revealing a tiny hole from a needle injection. With his thumb, he gently rubbed over it, showing remorse. "I injected you with vervain and wolfsbane. I wasn't sure which would have been more effective, so I used both. I am sorry Hope, I am, but I couldn't risk it."

With heavy force, she pushed Roman onto the floor, feeling betrayal as her father would even if there were implicit good intentions. "Vervain?!" She yelled. 

His sweaty palms attempted to escape from Hope while sliding his back into a corner, unbeknownst. Where the two walls met, Roman's back straightened off the floor, with nowhere else to go. "I didn't think-" Roman argued. 

"Didn't think what?" Hope tilted her head, causing her hair bounce slightly. "Who do you think you are? My baby sitter? At least baby sitters don't inject sedatives into their kids!" She spat out. She stood above Roman, gazing down, awaiting an answer that she knew wouldn't please her. 

Roman was saved purely on the alarming sound of the door slamming open. "What is going on here?" Alaric budged into the bedroom, after hearing the unsettling yelling from a nearby foyer. "Hope?" He questioned, genuinely surprised to see her inside the school. 

"Nothing is going on," Hope glared at Roman. "Nothing that concerns you, at least." She then glared at Alaric. 

"Clearly something has occurred, what is wrong Hope?" Alaric restated his question. By then, Josie had appeared behind Alaric's slim body, trying to peak at what was happening. She stopped on her way to Landon to understand the commotion. 

Hope's facial expression softened once Josie came into view. Josie was visibly confused and of course concerned about Hope's wellbeing. Never had she seen her so furious, but she presumed that kind of anger ran in the Mikaelson bloodline, on top of being a werewolf. 

Embarrassed that Josie saw her like this, Hope balled her fists. "I said," she frowned, "it's none of your business!" Her arm extended forward, pushing magic to close the door on the father and daughter. 

Alaric immediately grabbed the knob, shaking and trying to turn it, but it didn't give in. Only magic could undo the lock. He looked at his daughter, the siphoner, and she shook her head no, understanding that he wanted her to absorb the magic. 

"I need to get in there Josie," he said with some panic. 

Unsure of what to do, she glanced between the door and her father. Josie pressed her lips together, feeling somewhat queasy for accidentally getting involved. Her hand lifted to gently lay on the door, but instead landed on her father's wrist. 

She once again shook her head. "Hope will only become angrier Dad, we need to let her cool off. Roman can handle himself." 

Alaric furrowed his brows, confused that his daughter didn't listen to his commands. Searching for an answer in her face, he whispered, "what?" 

Josie removed his hand from the doorknob and it fell to his side. She could feel the intensity of the magic waves just from Hope using a door locking spell, and she knew Hope was to not be messed with right now. Maybe alone Josie could help her, but not when her dad is taking lead or shadowing. 

She gave him no answer. While walking away, he turned around to watch her leave, and she turned back to see him do so. Alaric was beginning to realize his daughters were growing up and gaining control, and he did not like it at all. 

Dodging her fellow peers among the hallway, she walked through the Stefan Salvatore Library, hoping to avoid some traffic. In which, she did. On her way to see Landon, she began to wonder, why was Hope here? In Josie's mind, it only made sense to her that she was brought here against her will. 

It was only yesterday when Josie naively asked when Hope was coming back, and now understood how regretful Hope seemed. Hope wasn't coming back, and now she is definitely not going to stay. There is no controlling Hope Mikaelson. 

Down the stairs, into a dim, chilly, basement, laid a boy on a cot behind bars. Hearing movement stirred him awake. "Hello?" Landon nervously said. 

Gingerly, Josie peered around the corner, waving. "Uh, hi," she anxiously laughed. "You're Landon right?"

"Is this how the rich treats the poor around here?" Landon commented, concerned for his safety. "I know what this school is." 

Shocked, she stepped back. How did he know already? 

"And the way you recruit new students," he scoffed, "by far the strangest, and most dangerous of recruitments. I mean, you couldn't just have asked Raf if he wanted to come here? Did we really have to be shoved into your rich school van and brought here?" 

On the inside, she felt relieved. Ultimately, Landon did see the bad side of recruitments, but granted, Rafael was about to transition into a wolf. Alaric was only trying to prevent Landon from seeing such. For all he knew, this is a stuck up, prep school. 

"I will agree," she slightly smiled. "It's not the best way to go about things. I'll have a talk with my dad about it."

His facial expression relaxed. "Wow, you're actually nice? And the principal's daughter?" 

Josie sat down beside the bars and folded her skirt underneath her. "You would be surprised by the people you see here, honestly." 

"How so? What could honestly change my mind about this school? Mystic Falls High knows enough, considering you manage to kick our ass every year in sports. We get it, you are better than us in every way possible." He sat down with her. 

She sighed deeply. Josie knew through the town's water, Landon most likely still had vervain in his system. Anything she said, he soon would eventually forget. "You wouldn't believe me, even if I tried." 

"It wouldn't hurt to try. I'm just trying to understand what is going on." He said, with a hint of sad. "What are you doing to me?"

"We aren't going to harm you." Josie reassured him. "You are witnessing a special school, a place where people like me are safe to be ourselves." 

"People like you?"

"People like me," she repeated. "People that are supernatural beings...And after today, you won't remember any of this."


	5. Chapter 5

"C'mon, we have to go now! I can't let my dad see you," Josie finished siphoning magic from the school walls to unlock the gate between her and Landon. "Especially with me." The curly haired boy hesitated, partially from offense of her remark, partially from the pure shock of witnessing magic. She motioned again that he needed to exit, before anyone noticed that she was breaking Landon out. 

Up they went the basement staircase, both grasping the freezing railway to ensure their safety while traveling upwards. The further they got, the louder their footsteps became, as the heavy stomps echoed through the school. Josie's head swung around to glare at Landon at the exit, and she slapped her index finger on her lips, indicating to lower the volume. 

She glanced upwards, as if she was waiting for a sign to go. With closing her eyes and mouthing a countdown from three, a bell rung throughout the halls and soon followed with the rumbles of student voices. This was the perfect opportunity to camouflage Landon amongst the entire student body. The only giveaway for Landon would be his day old clothes clashing against the sea of Salvatore student uniforms. 

"This...isn't going to be good." Landon remarked anxiously, witnessing how many of Josie's peers occupied the hallways. In which, Josie silently agreed, now knowing Hope Mikaelson could be roaming anywhere within the school, causing her to worry about what to say if she happen to run into her. 

Mystic Falls High only had a fraction of students compared to the boarding school, not to even mention the power every person holds. In a normal high school, one may be pushed against a locker or have your lunch money stolen; at the Salvatore Boarding School, a werewolf could throw you through a wall on any given day. "Where's Raf?" Landon urged. 

Josie's velvety brown eyes searched for a possible pathway through the hallways, without being caught by her principal father. It wasn't her father she entirely feared, but the eventual punishment she would dread hearing from Caroline over the phone. Alaric had too much on his plate to juggle between being headmaster and a reliable dad, so of course Caroline had to fill the role of keeping their daughters in tip top shape...while she remained halfway across the world. 

There was a certain blonde however, Josie knew she could depend on. Someone she depended too much on. 

"Lizzie!" Josie grinned. It was perfect timing. 

Lizzie approached the two and latched herself onto Josie's right bicep, keeping her head held high and her eyes forward. Together they strolled through the hallways, trying to act nonchalant while harboring a refugee. "Josie," Lizzie said in a higher pitched voice, wearing a fake smile. "Why is Logan out of his cage?"

"Lizzie!" Josie scrunched her face, embarrassed of her twin sister's impolite question. "He's not a dog. Don't say that." 

"Am I wrong for saying that? It is where the werewolves go to transition. I'm not too far off." The blonde twin smirked. 

As Landon matched Lizzie's pace, he glanced at her with a very concerned expression. "You stuck me down there with wolves?! Actual werewolves?" 

"I, technically, didn't place you anywhere. You can thank my inattentive dad for that one, Leon." 

"It's Landon." 

Coexisting with the werewolves was nothing new to the two witches, but as a mortal, Landon was petrified. Disinterested and indifferent, Lizzie rolled her eyes and continued strolling. He was not in imminent danger, considering there wasn't a full moon for another week. 

Josie paused for a moment. Together, the sisters turned to look at Landon, thinking the same thought. "Either way, didn't you like..." Lizzie started. 

"Live with a wolf?" Josie finished, casually pointing out Landon's inconsistencies. 

"Yeah, Lola, so it is kind of racist to assume all wolves are bad. We didn't discriminate your existence here. You're a mere human in a boarding school full of supernaturals. Know your place." Lizzie sassed, placing her hands on her hips, lifting a brow. 

"Well, actually..." Landon quietly mumbled, wanting to correct Lizzie. With a swift head shake, Josie silently warned Landon to stop in his tracks, knowing Lizzie would end his puny reputation right before him. 

Annoyed, Lizzie crossed her arms, seeming very unamused. "Go ahead," she let out a dry laugh. "Let's hear it."

As slight conflict began to rise between the stranger and Josie's sister, she felt the need to ease the tension, as always. With grace, she placed both hands on Landon and Lizzie's shoulders respectively, physically keeping the two separate. Never would Lizzie throw the first punch, but she would for sure throw the last one. 

"Let's not hear it while I'm risking my teenage freedom to grant Landon probation." Josie blurted, with a sarcastic smile. "Speaking of which, Lizzie, I need you to cover for me, however you can. Please, do not let dad find out I'm doing this. In fact, keep him as far away as possible."

If Alaric was near, the chance of Hope Mikaelson following closely behind was high. The idea of the awkward conversation Josie would have to make and hearing Hope's helpless explanations on why she's returned to the school filled her with anxiety. It was clear Josie missed Hope, but since Hope has went through each traumatizing moment of her waking life, Hope felt so far from Josie's reach. All Josie wanted to do was help her, but it's getting harder each day to even recognize Hope Mikaelson in the pain she was drowning in. 

"Rebellious Jo coming out of her shell I see," her sister bragged. "All for the wrong reasons though." Lizzie looked up and down Landon, displeased with who was in front of her. "Sure thing though, I'll keep your ass out of trouble considering you have gone out of your way for me and Rafael." 

The thought of Lizzie and Rafael being together made Landon cringe, but also humored him, knowing Rafael would have to be out of his mind to be with someone like Lizzie. To him, she was a bully who used her twin sister for her own benefit. Josie was kind, Lizzie was not. Josie helped Landon for his sanity. Lizzie wanted Josie to help Landon to look good in Rafael's eyes. 

"Speaking of which, I have yet to find him, so wish me luck." Lizzie departed from Landon and Josie, finally relieving some of the boy's stress. In Landon's mind, he thought Rafael better run before she starts calling herself 'Lizzie Waithe' and writing their initials on her notebook. 

In an instant, Lizzie disappeared along the remaining stranglers within the hall and finally the two were en route to MG's room to hopefully borrow an old or used Salvatore Boarding School uniform for Landon. A multitude of questions bounced in Landon's mind he wanted to ask about Lizzie, but he wasn't sure if Josie had the same bite her sister did. 

"MG, Kaleb, meet Landon, Rafael's not blood 'brother', Landon, this is MG and Kaleb." Josie chirped, approaching MG and Kaleb standing outside their bedroom. Milton nicely waved at Landon, but Kaleb side eyed the newbie. "They are vampires." Immediately the color drained from Landon's face. "I sort of snuck him out of the basement for the day and I need help disguising him. Do you happen to have any extra uniforms?" 

Kaleb laughed. "You're looking a little pale there jailbird, you alright?" 

"We aren't going to drink your blood, no worries!" MG reassured him. 

"Well, MG might not but I wouldn't count on Kaleb to follow basic moralities." She joked, but then frowning when Landon didn't laugh. "Anyways..." Josie bit her lip after her joke crashed and burned. Kaleb seemed to find it funny. 

"Oh! Yeah, let me find that for you Jo," MG politely responded, deterring the awkwardness. He proceeds to gesture Landon into his room with a wide smile and a friendly wave. After giving Landon an old SBS hoodie and jeans and allowing him to change in private, MG stuck his head out the doorway to converse with Kaleb and Josie. 

MG was a very kind and honorable person. Though a vampire, he was very strict on doing good, which was ironic considering his best friend Kaleb feels the exact opposite when it came to their nature. Kaleb wanted to embrace the blood sucking and compulsion while MG was content drinking bunny blood. Their bond matched the very brothers the school was named after: Damon and Stefan Salvatore. 

"You going to the mill party Jo? It's the last one before the next full moon and the wolves go wild," MG inquired. "There will be alcohol!" He beamed, because alcohol was exactly what every hormonal, forever-seventeen-year-old vampire needed. 

Shying away from the mention of alcohol, Josie slightly groaned. "I don't know, will Penelope be there?" 

"Will I be where?" Penelope cheerily asked, who so happened to just be walking by, pretending to not know what the group was conversing about. The fake niceties Penelope was practicing made Josie want to go crazy. On the inside, Penelope was coldhearted and empty, but mastered the technique of acting like a normal human being. Penelope was anything but. 

Instantly, Josie shook her head in disapproval to her two friends, implying to not mention anything but MG didn't pick up on Josie's hint. "The party, you going?" He restated. 

Any chances of Josie attending the party were now extremely low due to Penelope's acknowledgment of it. Her stomach turned into knots, imagining being in close proximity of an intoxicated Penelope for an entire night. Josie didn't want to begin to envision Penelope talking to other girls, but the idea of being with Penelope killed her even more. Their relationship was beautiful, but unbalanced; loving, but unpredictable. 

"You can count on me being there MG," Penelope enthusiastically answered, sending a wink to Josie. She used to adore that, now it only brings a frown to her face. 

Upset with Penelope, Josie decided to remove herself from the situation. "Landon, hurry up. We're leaving." Josie said, purposely including Landon to possibly induce jealously into Penelope. 

Coming out of the bedroom, Landon tugged a slightly large hoodie and tried to smooth out the wrinkles. "Thanks MG," Landon smiled. Right below Landon's collar bone laid a bold, crimson 'S' patch, perfectly disguising Landon as one of the Salvatore students. 

"Who is this?" Penelope let out of a scoff. 

"No one," Josie asserted, grabbing onto Landon's loose sleeve, pulling him towards her, indicating to leave. "We were just stopping by." 

With a slight push from Josie, Landon began moving down the hallway, with her following closely behind. Before anything could be said, there was a roar of students yelling, as if a fight broke out near the front of the school. This caught everyone's attention, as fights in this school could lead to a war on a battlefield, causing problems within the fractions. Josie and Landon tread on the heels of whatever commotion was going on, with Kaleb, MG and Penelope doing the same. 

Trying to trudge through the student body, Josie managed to get front row seats of Hope and Roman arguing. In the background, students were chanting, encouraging Hope Mikaelson, the "freak beast" of Mystic Falls, to induce a fight, as if she was some circus animal. 

"Oh, look, everyone. Hope Mikaelson is having a meltdown, again." Alyssa Chang taunted from the bow of the crowd. "What a freak."

Once news broke out of Hope being a Mikaelson, almost everyone looked at her as an evil being: that, and a mistake in nature, an anomaly, a monster residing in a school of innocents. Along with being the first born of Klaus Mikaelson, she was a untraditional werewolf who could be beast at will, a once possessed and now powerful witch and someday a blood hungry vampire. 

Everyone thought she was weird, an oddity, but that was to hide the fear everyone felt when Hope Mikaelson walked past them; no one wanted to even breathe the same air as her. It was easier to put down Hope Mikaelson than to show the terror she brought. Some believed she was misunderstood, some were waiting for her to snap, but everyone knew damn well she had evil resided deep within her. 

Alaric appeared, struggling to get through everyone surrounding Hope. By now, Roman had backed off, realizing the damage he had caused by starting a fight. The corridor had a slight rumble to it, as the foundations of the school struggled to handle all the magic energy coming from Hope. 

"Hope!" The headmaster yelled, trying to reach to her. The rumbles only resumed. 

"Hope!"

The pressure of everyone insulting about Hope, the pressure of failing Roman, the pressure of wreaking panic in Alaric, it felt like to be too much for Hope. In such a powerful body, she could only hold onto so much powerful emotions. 

The pressure of hurting Josie, the pressure of the uncertainty between her and Lizzie, the pressure of having an absent family, it was too much for Hope. 

"Leave...me..." 

Above the crowd, a glistening and now broken chandelier shattered, along with all light bulbs and glass objects nearby. The wiring throughout the school bursted with electricity, and suddenly, it was darker. Only the afternoon sun illuminated through the now broken windows. 

"Alone!" 

Intense waves of pain passed through endless bodies, causing massive headaches as everyone clenched their skulls. Sick, gut feelings hit Hope's stomach, as her heart rate flew sky high. Tears streamed down her pale face, as her eyes glowed a golden brown. This was the moment Hope Mikaelson snapped.

The pretending to not hurt, the ignoring of her pain, the starting over and over and over, nothing worked for her. Nothing was okay. At that moment, she knew she had no one, not Josie, not Roman, not even her family acknowledged her trauma. How could anyone fix a cosmic mistake of a daughter to a hybrid bastard? 

Hope did what she knew best: to leave. No one saw her leave, they only knew she was gone when the splitting headaches disappeared and the shaking of the school ceased. 

Jostling through the crowd, Lizzie finally caught up to the commotion, worried for her sister and father. It was eerily silent for a moment. 

"Josette. You didn't happen to know there was an explosive Hope Mikaelson in our premises, did you?" Lizzie croaked, insinuating Josie could have been behind provoking Hope. 

Landon being nosy, he couldn't help but to finally ask questions after being curious all morning. "Hope? She goes to school here?"

"How do you know her?" Josie quickly stressed, accidentally conveying some jealously. 

"We danced once. I used to make her milkshakes at the Mystic Grill...what is she, what happened to her?" Landon asked, expressing concern for the sweet, quiet, girl he once knew. 

"She's a tribid." Lizzie answered quietly. 

"An offspring of an ancient vampire family, an alpha werewolf, and comes from a long lineage of angry, forceful witches." Josie continued the explanation. 

"She's the baddest, the strangest..."

"The best and worst of us all..."

"And everyone she ever loved just died." Alaric finished. 

"She could be the very reason of the end of the world."


End file.
